Texas Lottery Considering Computerized Drawings

Warning to Texas Lottery players: Your state lottery is considering a move that will eliminate real lottery ball machines, and will use a computer to select your lottery numbers.

New documents uncovered by News 4 WOAI Monday show the Texas Lottery Commission may consider changing the way it draws numbers, but some say the system they want to change to is unreliable.

Currently, the lotto is drawn with a machine using individually numbered ping-pong balls, but according to documents obtained by News 4 WOAI, they could change to computerized drawings.

One San Antonio math professor says that is a big mistake.

The problem is no one really knows what's really going on inside that computer program, San Antonio College Professor Gerald Busalt said. Busalt told the Lottery Commission members Monday computer programs are unreliable.

There's a 92% chance there is a problem with that program, Busalt told the commission.

The Lotto Texas Mega Millions game uses a computer, and Busalt says it has problems. [Editor: Only the Texas Megaplier is drawn using a computer. All the regular Mega Millions numbers are drawn using traditional lottery ball machines.]

The number 2 has not appeared for the last 51 drawings, Busalt said. He also says a similar problem with the number 9 in Arizona led to the temporary shutdown of its lottery.

But even with the problems, an e-mail obtained by News 4 WOAI in an open records request from Lottery Deputy Director Gary Grief seems to show an interest in going to the computer generated drawings anyway. Grief would not talk to us about the e-mail, so we asked Lottery Chairman Tom Clowe, Jr.

Has the commission been looking into the possibility of doing computer drawings and entering into an agreement with a company next month to put into place computer generated drawings? News 4 WOAIs Bruce Kates asked Clowe Monday.

No, not to my knowledge, Clowe said.

But the e-mail obtained by News 4 WOAI is addressed to chairman Clowe. It talks about research underway on computer drawings. When Kates showed Clowe the e-mail he said he had forgotten about it. Clowe also said the e-mail referred to research only.

There's no contract in place, or being proposed, Clowe said. There's no commitment to go to a random number generator

Lottery chairman Clowe said he is going to have his staff look at the issues Professor Busalt brought up in today's hearing.

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Crowe's denials, even when faced with an email, shows just how corrupt the lottery system is in Texas. Driven by greed and arrogance, they get together once a month to plan ways to get more money from the needy and working poor. They have no shame, no conscience, no sense of fair play.

Yes indeed. You can cut payouts, raise odds, raise prices, raise ages (which really bothers me because I'm a youth rights activist, agree to disagree). But the undisputed, ultimate sign of corruption is using computers to draw numbers. It basically telling players "Hey, f**k you, we're gonna rig your drawings so you can't win. And there isn't a thing you can do about it.", and every player knows it.

They say that the truth is in the pudding, I say that the truth is in the numbers.

Shows just how corrupt the lottery system is in Texas. Driven by greed and arrogance, they get together once a month to plan ways to get more money: They have no shame, no conscience, no sense of fair play.

The numbers tell the whole story, learn how to read them.

The are seeking even greater control than they already have and they have almost full control already, look at the numbers for the whole history, compare the numbers from one state to another, better from all the states.

I think that monopolies even from the government are unticonstitutional.

this makes me really nervous,i e-mailed the tennessee lottery a week ago and they told me they would never use computers,quite frankly these politicians see this as a cheaper alternative and the bad thing is its catching on quick.

Looks like they are following the poor lead of their neighbor, Louisiana. Their state lottery was instituted in 1992 and has always used computerized drawing to the distrust of many (the state has a history of political corruption and shady business practice). In the end though I'm sure that player-governed lottery will prevail. The challenge is getting the countless players across the nation, in the nooks and crannies, activated.

Quote:Originally posted by LOTTOMIKE on March 1, 2005this makes me really nervous,i e-mailed the tennessee lottery a week ago and they told me they would never use computers,quite frankly these politicians see this as a cheaper alternative and the bad thing is its catching on quick.

then they lied to you. they are not just using balls to pick their numbers. not unless certain ones have been weighted more. i would put my life on it.

I believe life is about finding someone you cant live without

And showing them how much you care every day of every month of every year